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Predicting the Future of Radio: A World Radio Day Celebration

BY Ryan Roberts ON February 13, 2018 IN Audio Advertising

World Radio Day celebrates the unique power that radio has to reach people across the world and bring them together.

Happy World Radio Day!

Following a request from the Spanish Radio Academy, UNESCO’s Executive Board declared February 13th as World Radio Day. The first official celebration was in 2012. To honor the celebration, Lifeline Energy, Frontline SMS, SOAS Radio, and Empowerhouse hosted a seminar in London. Personally, we like any excuse to celebrate radio. After all, what’s better than music, storytelling, and dynamic ads?

The Future of Radio

Radio has been a staple for more than 100 years in America. In 1922, America’s airwaves changed forever. New York radio station WEAF played the first paid radio commercial for the Hawthorne Court Apartments in Jackson Heights.

Let’s take a minute to look into the future. Here are a few of our predictions about the future of radio:

1. You will need to have screenless advertising strategies

Unlike television, radio is a medium for motion. You can listen while driving your car, walking down the street, riding the subway, and sitting at your desk. Thanks to smart speakers, consumers are listening to more audio content than ever. Think about it, all they have to do is ask for their favorite song or station. This is an opportunity for radio to grab an even larger share of consumers’ attention.

“The more mobile our society gets, the greater the opportunity for radio to become the medium of choice.” – Media Life Magazine

2. Dynamic audio content will directly impact campaign successes

There will be a revolution in audio content. Currently, radio is mostly music with a little talk. That leaves a lot of room to improve storytelling and create more compelling audio ads. Need some inspiration? Listen to the 2017 Radio Mercury Awards Best Radio Ad of the Year.

“The Motel 6 radio campaign won Best of Show because it created a fresh, top-of-mind execution to convey Motel 6’s iconic brand. This campaign continues the Motel 6 narrative in a refreshing and relevant way,” said Mark Gross, founder and creative director of Highdive Advertising and chief judge for the 2017 Radio Mercury Awards.

3. Radio will continue to reach the masses

There’s a lot of talk about the “fall of radio”, but we’re happy to share that it is still as strong as ever. Broadcast radio continues to expand its connection to listeners despite the growth in competitive audio mediums.

“In fact, radio was the only analog medium to show growth year-over-year in Nielsen’s analysis (+1% in time spent listening) and it is the only medium to command a consistent share of daily media activity (17%), no matter the demographic.” – Radio Ink